Lug nut covers are commonly used to protect the threads of the stud or lug bolt from damage, dirt and rust. However, one problem with these known covers is that it can be difficult to secure them to the vehicle lug nut and they are often misplaced or lost. A number of patented caps have been developed to address this problem, such as found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,350,266 and 5,163,797, but these prior art patented caps have a two part assembly which is expensive to manufacture and which can be cumbersome to use. Thus, there is a need for a new capped wheel nut assembly that addresses these problem and other problems associated with known designs.
A feature of the present invention is to provide a lug nut cover or cap which has only one part, which is inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use, and yet which also provides a very secure holding force on the vehicle lug nut.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a capped wheel nut assembly which adds a simple modification to a standard wheel nut that cooperates with a feature on a snap-fitting lug nut cap to allow for a quick release of the cap from the nut.
Another feature of the present invention is to provide a lug nut cover which has a very secure holding force when assembled to an associated lug nut, but which is also easy to remove from the lug nut when removal is desired.
A further feature of this invention is to provide a capped wheel nut assembly which is rugged and durable in use and is capable of being inexpensively manufactured and assembled, and which can be quickly installed and removed from the wheel nut.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings in which like numerals are used to designate like features.
Before the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.